


Writing You a Chorus

by coreopsis



Series: theater!AU [2]
Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, Panic At The Disco
Genre: AU, M/M, RPS - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-04-03
Updated: 2010-04-03
Packaged: 2017-10-08 16:19:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/77495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coreopsis/pseuds/coreopsis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prequel ficlet to Slipping Like a Fault Line.  Patrick and Ryan meet Pete Wentz.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Writing You a Chorus

"So, I'm thinking something like this," Patrick says and starts singing the first verse of _Boycott Love_, the opening song of the musical they have written and are now revising. Ryan pays rapt attention, nodding and mouthing the words along with Patrick, until a loud gasp from the doorway distracts them both.

Patrick's hands still on the piano keys and Ryan straightens from where he's been leaning next to Patrick to see the sheet music better. In freakish tandem, they both turn their heads to see a guy with red streaks in the bangs of his otherwise dark brown hair standing in the open doorway staring at them--okay, mostly at Patrick--with a rapturous look on his face. He's just a little taller and a little older than Patrick, and dressed like one of the crew in skinny jeans worn ragged at the knees and a dark green hoodie over a red t-shirt. When he seems to notice Patrick and Ryan staring back at him, he starts clapping enthusiastically, saying, "Dude, you're amazing. You must be playing the lead."

Patrick shakes his head, eyes narrowed in annoyance both at the interruption and the guy's presumption. "No, we're the writers."

"Oh." The guy's face falls into lines of disappointment, but he crosses the room anyway. He holds his hand out to Patrick and smiles frighteningly big as he picks up Patrick's hand and forces him to shake. He lingers, stroking his fingertips over the back of over Patrick's hand, and says, "Hi, I'm Pete, and who do I have the pleasure of worshiping today?"

Jerking his hand out of Pete's warm grip, Patrick shoots him a look over the top of his glasses, then pushes them up his nose. Of all days he chose not to bother with his contacts. "I don't know, but I'm Patrick and this is Ryan. This isn't a church, so you'll have to find somewhere else to worship."

Patrick hears Ryan make a slight choking noise, but he ignores him.

"You. I like you," says Pete, beaming even harder at Patrick. He still hasn't spared even a glance at Ryan. "I came to see Brian, but I don't know if I can drag myself away. Serenade me some more, Peppermint Patty."

"It's _Patrick_, thank you very much," and Patrick is surprised the words are understandable given how hard he's gritting his teeth.

"You are so welcome." When Ryan clears his throat, Pete finally drags his gaze away from Patrick and says, "Isn't he just fantastic?"

"Oh, without a doubt," Ryan says with no inflection whatsoever, and Patrick knows that Ryan is going to mock him mercilessly as soon as Pete is gone.

"I think Brian is up in his office. I'm sure Ryan could--"

"Or you could show me the way," Pete interrupts smoothly. "We could get to know each other better."

"We really need to finish this."

"I can wait," Pete says patiently as he leans close to Patrick.

"Are you sniffing my head? What the fuck?" Patrick draws back wondering what kind of lunatic has gotten into the building.

"No," Pete laughs, "but I do want to know what's under the cap." When Patrick just gives him a dirty look, Pete pats him on the back, the warmth of his hand soaking through Patrick's sweater. "Relax, Trickster. I was actually looking at your lyrics. I think this line--" he points at the chorus "--might work better as _imperfect boys with their perfect ploys_. It works with the whole theme of the show. Try it and see what you think before you write me off as a pushy bastard."

"How do you know what the theme is? And, by the way, you _are_ a pushy bastard," Patrick huffs, but Ryan is scribbling on his own copy of the song and then picking it up.

"You want to play or shall I sing it a capella?" Ryan asks, one eyebrow raised and every line of his body screaming that he means business.

Not able to bear Ryan singing a capella at the moment, Patrick turns back and just starts playing from the beginning. Pete says, "Have you thought of slowing this part down a bit and then kicking into high gear at the first chorus?"

"No," Patrick says through gritted teeth and grimly plays on exactly the way he wrote it.

After Ryan sings the chorus with the changed line, he stops and says, "I like it."

So does Patrick, but he's in no hurry to just tell Pete that. "We'll think about it," is all he's giving up.

Ryan nudges him in the ribs, once lightly and then again harder. And seriously, he has the sharpest elbows in existence. Patrick can already feel a bruise forming as he stares at Ryan. Ryan stares back unimpressed with Patrick's anger or his territorial nature or his fashion sense or--well, he's just generally unimpressed and Patrick is well aware of it. Because Patrick's never been a cut his nose off to spite his face kind of guy, he huffs out an annoyed breath and gives in. "Okay, fine. But I'm not giving you any credit and I'm not paying you."

Pete just laughs. "I don't need any credit or money."

Pete's laugh is almost drowned out by Ryan's dramatic, "No. No. No. I refuse to believe--I just-- Really, Patrick. Have you recently received a blow to the head? Because you have to know who Pete Wentz is."

"No, I don't." Patrick scowls and crosses his arms over his chest. He hates being made fun of more than just about anything except feeling stupid, which he is starting to do right now. "And I haven't. And what the hell are you on about?"

"Everybody under the age of fifty knows Pete Wentz! Decaydance Records? Clandestine Industries?" Ryan's gaping would be amusing under different circumstances and Pete certainly seems amused, but Patrick just scowls harder. "There is more to life than Motown and show tunes, Patrick."

"Whatever. Are we through here?" Patrick turns and starts shuffling through the papers on top of the piano. "I'd like to get back to work now. We are sort of on a deadline here."

Something about that makes Pete snap to attention. "Oh, dudes, I'm sorry. Listen, I'll go find Brian on my own. It was nice meeting you."

This time he shakes Ryan's hand and doesn't try to touch Patrick. As he backs slowly toward the door, he says, "Maybe I'll see you around again."

Patrick doesn't look directly at Pete but he knows Pete is looking only at him. Patrick can feel it.

***

Patrick is almost impressed that Ryan manages to wait a whole fifteen minutes before putting his guitar down and asking, "You seriously don't know who Pete Wentz is?"

"I seriously don't," says Patrick with a complete lack of concern. He plays the opening bars of _Mama_ on the piano as he decides to be generous. "Go ahead and tell me. I know you're dying to."

"He owns Angels&amp;Kings? He's the head of Decaydance Records--"

"Cute wordplay," Patrick interrupts, which Ryan ignores.

"--which has some of the hottest bands on the scene. And Pete discovered them himself. He's got a clothing line, which you might have seen if you ever made it out of the shoe department at Macy's and stopped dressing like an old man."

"Like I shop at Macy's," Patrick snorts, which Ryan ignores. "And fuck you, there's nothing wrong with argyle."

"He owns a small publishing house that puts out comics and an indie music magazine. There's even action figures for the comics, and...you really never heard of him?" Ryan looks at Patrick like he's an alien, and Patrick would be annoyed at that but there's something so amusing about Ryan's fanboying of Pete that Patrick just smiles a little indulgently and shakes his head. "Not even when he dated that actress off that show on--okay, of course, that wouldn't register, never mind. He presented at last year's VMAs and this year's Independent Spirit Awards, and he donates a fuckton of his considerable wealth to various arts programs."

"So he's rich and famous? Is that what this verbal love letter is all about?"

Ryan sighs loudly and rolls his eyes. "You are hopeless."

Patrick just shrugs and plays a little faster and louder.

 

Patrick and Ryan are working on the song that Patrick thinks should be called _Sleeping With Giants_ and Ryan wants to call _Lifetime_ when Brian knocks on the doorframe and then steps into the room. He waits until Patrick stops playing before coming closer. The perpetually harassed look is absent from his face. He's smiling and seems remarkably free of stress for a change. "I don't know what you said to Pete, but thank you."

Patrick's eyebrows shoot up and he frowns, first at Brian and then at Ryan, who helpfully tells Brian, "He insulted Pete and had no idea who he was."

"Really?" Brian doesn't look as shocked as Ryan was that Patrick didn't know who Pete is, but that's because he's too jaded to be shocked by much of anything any more. All he can manage is mildly surprised.

"I know!" Ryan is still scandalized and it's getting less funny and more aggravating as time moves on.

Patrick starts to defend himself, but Brian waves it all away. "Doesn't matter. The point is that Mr. Pete Wentz just promised to cut us a check that will keep us running for the next twelve months. After that, he's going to look at how we're doing and decide if he wants to give us another grant."

"Brian, are you serious?" Patrick asks.

"When am I ever not serious about money?" Brian scowls but his relief is so palpable that Patrick knows he's not really offended. "Well, anyway, thank you for making whatever impression you made that helped him decide to support us. Did I mention that it's a very generous check with a lot of zeroes?"

"So I should insult him again this time next year?"

"I'd rather you didn't, but hey, whatever works." Brian gives Patrick a little 'good job' punch to the shoulder and then claps his hands together. "I'd better go call Bob and tell him I can finally pay him a decent wage so he can cut down on the side jobs. He's all mine now," Brian cackles and rubs his hands together. "I may even be able to hire Ray Toro to direct our next show. You will have it ready to go soon, right?"

Patrick hesitates but Ryan steps up and says, "It's finished. We're just fine-tuning it at this point. You know how Patrick is."

"Perfectionist." Brian nods but he's still smiling. "Just get me something to show Bob and Toro in a couple of days. The current show only has three more weeks in its run, so we need to get moving on the next one."

"Will do," says Patrick and touches two fingers to the brim of his hat. He waits until Brian is gone before dropping his head in his hands and groaning pathetically. "Two days?"

"Patrick, you have to let your baby go sometime," Ryan says and when Patrick looks up he sees that Ryan is looking at him with surprising sympathy. "It's fine--no, it's good," he corrects himself when Patrick starts to object to settling for anything that's just _fine_. "It may even be our best yet."

Patrick considers this carefully and realizes that he actually agrees with Ryan. Of course, this realization just raises the bar for the next show. Shoving that stressful thought away, he says, "We should go over _Reinvent Love_ again. See if we can tighten it up a little."

Ryan just sighs and picks up his guitar again.


End file.
